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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27919615">In The Dark</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Facialteeth/pseuds/Noteventhat'>Noteventhat (Facialteeth)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Rarepairs [10]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Shadowhunters (TV), The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Good Sibling Isabelle Lightwood, Lightwood Siblings Feels, M/M, Scared Alec Lightwood, Secret Relationship, Shadowhunter Alec Lightwood, Simon's POV, Themes of Homophobia (very light and vague), Vampire Simon, alternative universe</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 20:00:10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,292</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27919615</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Facialteeth/pseuds/Noteventhat</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Simon wasn’t exactly sure why his boyfriend didn’t want to tell his family about him but when Alec’s sister showed up on the doorstep to their apartment one day, Simon didn’t know what else to do besides let her in and hope Alec wasn’t mad.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Simon Lewis/Alec Lightwood</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Rarepairs [10]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1915978</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>104</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>In The Dark</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Simon’s life had been completely average and normal, until his senior year of high school. Simon had been walking home a little too late, ducking through an alleyway that was a little too secluded and that night, Simon had been introduced to the downworld for the very first time. He’d met a monster, one who’s eyes flashed red as Simon was shoved against the cold brick wall behind him. Simon remembered flashes of teeth. He remembered pain and he remembered opening his mouth to scream but finding no sound would come out.</p><p>Simon had met a vampire that night, he later learned and when he’d woken up again, Simon himself had been one as well. His throat had burned for blood and his teeth had ached, desperate to slash into something, anything that had blood. Simon never went to school again and his friends, his best friend Clary, his <em>family-</em> he’d had to leave behind.</p><p>To them, Simon had just disappeared one day. Simon had seen the missing posters and he’d tried not to look at any of them for too long. Simon knew his mother and his sister still prayed he would come home. Simon knew Clary still went looking for him but the Simon Lewis they knew had died that night and Simon now was not someone who could ever see them again, not without putting them in danger at least.</p><p>Simon had been born into his new life alone and scared. In a single night, his whole world had been flipped upside down. He’d lost everyone he knew and everything his life was going to be in one swift flash of teeth but then, Simon had found something surprising, something that Simon truly believed had saved him.</p><p>Simon met Alec. Alec was a shadowhunter, something that Simon hadn’t even known was a thing until he’d heard Alec say it for the first time. Simon didn’t know shadowhunters were scary. He didn’t know he was supposed to stay away from them at all costs and Simon was thankful he hadn’t known. If he had, Simon knew he would have stayed away and then, who knew where Simon would be.</p><p>Alec had frowned at Simon when they’d first met, contemplating him in a way that Simon hadn’t really understood. Then, Alec had told him to come. Alec showed him where to get blood. He pointed him towards the nearest vampire den, where he could meet people like his own and at last, Alec had told him that not every shadowhunter was as accepting of vampires as Alec had been.</p><p>He hadn’t said anything more but Simon had understood that it was a threat and a warning.</p><p>Without another word, Alec had turned and left. Simon hadn’t seen him again for a long time. When they did finally meet again, Simon was a little older, though he did not look it. He was no longer the scared fledgling that Alec had met but when Simon darted towards him in the bar, excitedly saying his name, Alec had still turned and gave Simon that same considering gaze that he had the first time they’d met.</p><p>Whatever he saw in Simon had made him frown just a little and then tell Simon to sit or leave. Simon chose to sit and after that first night, it just became a thing. He and Alec would meet every once in a while and they’d talk. Simon ignored the vampires who told him Alec was dangerous and Alec probably ignored his people, who might not even know he was meeting a vampire for a drink in the first place.</p><p>Alec had been Simon’s first friend after he’d died and been born again and even as cold as Alec normally was on the outside, it wasn’t long before Simon cared for him. It wasn’t long before Simon would wait anxiously until they could meet again and… well, it wasn’t long before Simon’s feelings had shifted into something a little more.</p><p>Alec was handsome and Simon had always been attracted to bad boys. The weapons Alec carried, the leather jackets he wore- they didn’t make Alec look any less appealing to Simon and when Alec admitted one night that he wasn’t exactly straight, Simon had thought for the first time that maybe, he stood a chance.</p><p>That had been before Alec had followed him outside one day, escorting Simon through a dark alleyway much like the one Simon had been attacked in so long ago. That had been before Alec had paused, moved closer to Simon and then quietly asked if Simon would mind if he kissed him.</p><p>Simon hadn’t minded and when he’d finally forced himself to shake his head no, Alec had come forward, gently grabbing Simon by his shirt and then pushing Simon into the wall, crushing his lips onto Simon’s own. Simon wasn’t even sure how long he and Alec stood there making out but he knew when Alec finally pulled away, panting and out of breath, his dark hair and his jacket delightfully rumpled- Simon knew that he’d never had a better kiss in his life.</p><p>Alec had caught his breath and then, he’d walked Simon the rest of the way home in relative silence. After that? Yeah, that had also become a thing and soon enough, Simon was pretty sure he and the handsome shadowhunter were dating. That was only confirmed even more when Alec had asked if Simon had considered getting his own apartment, now that he was no longer a baby vampire in need of people to look after him.</p><p>Simon had thought about it before but when he asked why and Alec said that it would just be <em>convenient</em>, Simon had understood. Simon couldn’t go to the Institute with Alec. Alec couldn’t come into vampire territory to visit Simon inside the hotel.</p><p>Simon got his own apartment and soon enough, the space had equally been Alec’s as it was his. Shadowhunters apparently had money and Alec helped him pay for the space, since Simon had trouble finding a job. Alec had weapons by the doors, ones that gleamed with his angelic runes. He had extra clothes there and not long after, he’d had simpler things in their space as well. He had the body wash he liked in the shower. He had a toothbrush for when he slept over. He had his own controller to their xbox, for when Simon convinced him to play games.</p><p>Eventually, Alec started to sleep over more than he slept at the Institute but for a while, their lives still remained rather separate. Simon knew Alec had family but he had no clue if Alec’s family even knew about him. Simon had still never been in the Institute Alec worked at.</p><p>Simon hadn’t been sure if that separation was more for Simon’s safety or Alec’s but either way, he didn’t push. Simon knew Alec’s people wouldn’t be the most accepting of him and Alec’s relationship and if he didn’t want to tell anyone, Simon didn’t exactly think it was up to him to tell Alec otherwise.</p><p>But one night, that all changed. He and Alec had been walking back from the Hunter’s Moon, intending on spending the rest of the night improving Alec’s Mario Kart skills before Alec had to go back to the Institute the next morning but they’d been stopped along the way, when a demon had jumped out in front of them. Then another had leaped out and then, another.</p><p>Alec had whipped a weapon from his belt and after a second of hesitation, he’d pulled his phone out, thrown it to Simon and told Simon to call his parabatai and back up. Simon had jumped backwards at the orders, watching Alec throw himself into a fight he was certainly outnumbered in.</p><p>Simon scrambled to call Jace, hoping Alec didn’t have his brother’s contact saved under some sweet family pet name he wouldn’t recognize. It wasn’t. Jace had been saved under a very original ‘Jace’ and Simon hadn’t really had a moment to be nervous before he hit send.</p><p>Jace answered on the third ring, yelling Alec’s name and asking why he was fighting.</p><p>Simon didn’t ask how he knew Alec was fighting (some parabatai thing Simon didn’t understand, he was sure). All he’d said was, “Uh, Jace? I’m with Alec, we’re at-” He’d continued saying where they were and what was happening but Jace had stayed completely silent on the other end, even after Simon stopped talking.</p><p>Finally, he’d said, “Who the fuck are you?”</p><p>Simon, who had no clue if Alec had told Jace anything about him, didn’t know what to say. “Just come,” he’d said finally before hanging up and hoping that his boyfriend had not been slaughtered by demons in the meantime.</p><p>Alec had not in fact been slaughtered by demons. He’d managed to kill almost all of the demons that had initially popped up but more and more just kept coming. There had been a rift apparently, one that was small enough that it closed itself without them having to call in a warlock, leaving behind only the demons to strike down.</p><p>Alec’s parabatai, who Simon only recognized because Alec had shown him photos, had shown up quickly and instantly moved to Alec’s side, moving with him as if they were both two parts of the same whole, working together to kill the rest of the demons like they’d been made for it- Which Simon supposed technically, they were.</p><p>It hadn’t been long before all of the demons were dead, Alec and Jace were covered in ichor and Simon was just left standing there. As soon as the fight was over, Jace turned to look towards Simon.</p><p>Simon had thought maybe Jace had forgotten that Alec hadn’t been the one to call him, distracted by the demons and the chaos but clearly, that hadn’t been the case. Jace stalked forward taking a few steps towards Simon in a way that wasn’t exactly aggressive or not. “Who are you?” Jace asked incorrigibly.</p><p>Alec had frozen wide eyed before moving towards Jace, putting himself halfway between Jace and Simon, obscuring Simon from view. “He’s a friend,” Alec said instantly, a little defensively.</p><p>“A <em>friend</em>?” Jace said, sounding no more reassured. “Since when do you have <em>friends</em>?”</p><p>Simon wanted to be offended on his boyfriend's behalf but it really didn’t seem like Alec had friends or even people he talked to besides his family and Simon. More so, Simon had been distracted by the fact that apparently, Jace <em>hadn’t</em> known about him. He hadn’t known about him at all.</p><p>“Since now,” Alec snapped. For a moment, both of them fell silent, eyeing each other like they were having a conversation Simon couldn’t hear. “Come on, we have to go file a report,” Alec said at last.</p><p>Alec didn’t move and Jace didn’t either. Jace looked around Alec and met Simon’s eyes before he finally turned, picking up his fallen weapon and starting to walk the way he’d come. “We’re not done talking about this,” Jace said simply.</p><p>Alec didn’t respond. He watched Jace walk for a moment before he turned back to Simon. “I’ll talk to you later,” he said shortly before he was turning and moving after Jace, his shoulders tight and tense.</p><p>Alec didn’t even realize he’d forgotten his phone with Simon and Simon wasn’t going to call out his name and stop him. He just let Alec go and as he made his way back home, he hoped he hadn’t gotten Alec in trouble and he hoped that Alec would be back home to see him soon.</p><p> </p><p>Alec didn’t come home that night or the next night either but the <em>next</em> night, he’d shown up and pushed his way inside their apartment, shaking the rain off his body as he pulled his jacket off.</p><p>“Hi,” Simon said, not knowing what else to say, not knowing where they stood.</p><p>“Hi,” Alec said before he was moving past Simon to the shower.</p><p>When Alec came out again, he actually looked at Simon instead of past him and then, he moved towards the couch, pressed himself into Simon’s side and wrapped his arms around his colder body to pull him closer.</p><p>“I missed you,” Alec said simply and after that, things had seemed as normal as they’d always been. Simon didn’t ask about Jace. He didn’t ask what happened. He simply let it go, thinking Alec would talk to him about it when he wanted.</p><p>Apparently, Alec did not want to talk about it because he didn’t bring it up.</p><p> </p><p>Simon didn’t meet Jace or any of Alec’s family again, until a month had gone by. One day, Alec’s sister Isabelle had simply shown up at the door. Alec hadn’t been home. He’d been at the Institute since this morning and after Isabelle said who she was, Simon didn’t know what else to do besides let Isabelle in.</p><p>“So, you’re who my brother has been spending so much time with,” Isabelle said as she peered around at Simon and Alec’s apartment, clearly taking in Alec’s gear by the door, his spare pair of boots and the extra stele, propped on the table.</p><p>“I don’t know if Alec wants you here,” Simon tried. He didn’t really know the etiquette of how nice he should be to his partner’s sister, so he didn’t come across as rude but also not letting Alec’s sister invade their space when Alec had so clearly tried to keep her away.</p><p>“Oh, he won’t mind,” she said instantly, walking around so she could look into the bathroom and then duck her head into the bedroom.</p><p>Simon had thought for a moment that maybe he could say they were roommates but it was obvious it was a one bedroom apartment and Simon was sure Isabelle could see the tell tale signs of her brother on one of the bed stands and the signs of someone else on the other. Simon wasn’t sure what other excuse he could come up with but he knew he didn’t want to out his boyfriend, if he hadn’t already.</p><p>Finally, Isabelle turned back to Simon, her eyes practically sparkling with amusement. Simon could see where Alec got his good looks from. Apparently, everyone in his family was gorgeous.</p><p>“Now, why would Alec want to hide you?” She asked as she walked over, her hand coming out to touch at Simon’s cheek. If he hadn’t been a vampire, he’d have blushed.</p><p>Simon stammered for a moment, not really sure if Isabelle was looking for an actual answer from him. After a moment, it became clear she wasn’t because she kept speaking, “Oh, it’s alright. I know my brother likes his privacy but every once in a while, he needs a gentle push to open up.”</p><p>Isabelle looked for another moment before she moved to sit at their counter as easily as if she owned the place. “Come sit with me,” she called to Simon behind her. “Alec is on a mission for the next few hours and then, he should be home.”</p><p>Simon didn’t know what else to do besides listen to her.</p><p> </p><p>When Alec walked in hours later, he looked none too surprised to see his sister sitting with Simon, talking like she’d known him for years. In fact, the only expression that passed over his face was mild annoyance and then, he simply moved to slip his dirty boots off.</p><p>“Hello, Big Brother,” Isabelle called over.</p><p>Alec sighed before he was standing again, dropping his dirty weapon in the vase they’d placed there for exactly that reason. “Hello, Isabelle,” he replied listlessly.</p><p>“<em>Simon</em> and I were just catching up, seeing as you never bothered to introduce us. Now, why would that be?” Isabelle posed. Her tone was pleasant but Simon could feel her intention was anything but.</p><p>“Maybe, I just assumed I’d be allowed a little bit of privacy,” Alec responded coldly before he was moving forward, past them and to the fridge. Alec snatched a red bull off the shelf. Shadowhunters didn’t exactly need the caffeine when they had runes that worked far better but Simon had gotten Alec rather addicted to the energy drink. Simon would be concerned for him, if he didn’t also work himself hard enough that he passed out whenever he needed to sleep.</p><p>“You’ve had a <em>boyfriend</em> for months, one that you <em>live</em> with and you didn’t tell us. That’s not privacy, Alec.” Now, Simon could hear the genuine anger in Isabelle’s voice. He was happy it wasn’t directed at him.</p><p>“Well, clearly you managed to meet him anyway,” Alec snapped back.</p><p>For a second, Simon didn’t quite understand the exchange he was watching but then, something seemed to click. Alec sounded angry and a little defensive. He sounded ready for Isabelle to say something else, perhaps something a little more serious and a little less forgivable than simply being upset that Alec had hidden Simon’s existence.</p><p>Alec was playing it off like he didn’t care but it was clear he was worried Isabelle had more problems with Simon than just the secrecy. After a moment, Isabelle seemed to realize it too and then, her face softened somewhat.</p><p>All three of them, or more the two of them as Simon hadn’t dared to speak since Alec got home, fell silent and then, Isabelle spoke again. “He’s very nice, Alec.”</p><p>“Is he?” Alec replied. He has a look on his face as if he was holding his breath and didn’t know it.</p><p>“Of course, he is,” Isabelle replied softly.</p><p>Alec stared at her like he was trying to make sure she wasn't lying and then, his shoulders relaxed. Suddenly, Simon wasn’t looking at Alec, the shadowhunter. He was looking at his boyfriend again.</p><p>Alec’s eyes flickered over to Simon, seeming to realize his boyfriend was in fact sitting there for the first time. “I hope she didn’t bother you too much,” he said, continuing with the banter he and his sister had before only this time, his voice wasn’t as hard. He spoke in a way that let Simon know Isabelle was forgiven for invading his space, even if he continued to pretend she wasn’t. “She can be a bit much,” Alec continued.</p><p>“No, she was really nice!” Simon jumped in finally. “She was telling me about what you were like as a kid-”</p><p>Instantly, Alec groaned and then Isabelle was jumping in, reminding Alec of the embarrassing story she had just finished telling Simon about when Alec had come home. Eventually, Alec came around the counter to sit at Simon’s side, his hand gently reaching out to fall on the small of Simon’s back.</p><p>The touch was a simple, small one but it was also a test. Simon could feel how tense Alec was but when Isabelle said nothing, didn’t even falter from what she was saying, Alec’s hand relaxed and eventually, he started to rub gentle circles on Simon’s back.</p><p>Isabelle stayed for a few more hours before she left.</p><p>For some reason, Simon hadn’t expected to see any more of Alec’s family for a while. He hadn’t even met them until now but a couple of days later, Isabelle <em>and</em> Jace had shown up on Alec’s day off, insisting they were forcing both of them to come out.</p><p>For a long time, Simon hadn’t really known much about Alec’s family but all at once, he knew a lot about them and he also knew that he’d never seen his boyfriend as happy and relaxed as he was in the following weeks. And Simon?</p><p>Well, Simon didn’t judge Alec for not telling anyone about him but he also rather liked not being a secret anymore.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This fic is a direct result of ByTheAngell, who turned me onto this pairing and opened my eyes as to how amazing it is.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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